Compact opto-mechanical layout of long-range dual-camera bar-code imager

ABSTRACT

A scan engine for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in an imaging field of view (FOV) is provided that includes an imaging system, illumination system, aiming system, and a first and second chassis. The imaging system includes a lens holder and at least one lens disposed within the lens holder and both a far imaging system and a near imaging system for capturing images across multiple fields of view at different distances. The illumination system and aiming system are physically positioned to provide illumination of a target in the near and/or far fields of view, and provide an aiming pattern to the near and/or far fields of view.

BACKGROUND

Industrial scanners and/or barcode readers may be used in warehouseenvironments and/or other environments and may be provided in the formof mobile scanning devices. These scanners may be used to scan barcodesand other objects. Such scanners are typically contained within achassis to ensure optical components are protected from bumps, falls,and/or other potentially damaging events. In some environments, highpowered scanners capable of scanning or resolving barcodes (e.g., 100 mlwide) across a wide range of distances, such as from inches to tens offeet, or more, may be desirable. These scanners also must operate over arange of field of views (FOVs) and often require illumination systemsand aiming pattern systems. Often, such systems do not have effectiveillumination and/or aiming over the entire range of wide FOVs requiredfor operation. Additionally, such systems require larger optics in orderto meet performance requirements, but there remains a compromise betweenthe lens systems and optics having a specific size while beingconstrained by the overall dimensions of the housing and the chassis.Further, larger systems may generate larger mechanical securing forcesthat could potentially damage the chassis or other components. Also,compact imaging systems require high precision alignment of optics toprevent optical distortion, which can result in reduced efficiency ofscanning rates, or faulty equipment.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved designs having improvedfunctionalities.

SUMMARY

In accordance with a first aspect, an imaging apparatus is provided thatincludes a first chassis, second chassis, near imaging system, farimaging system, illumination system, and aiming system. The firstchassis including a body defining at least one cavity, the first chassisincluding a chassis mounting portion. The second chassis including abody defining at least one cavity, the first chassis physically coupledto the second chassis by the chassis mounting portion of the firstchassis and by a first printed circuit board. The near imaging system isdisposed in a cavity of the first chassis, the near imaging systemincluding near imaging optics to capture at least one image of an objectappearing in a field of view (FOV) onto an imaging plane along a nearimaging axis of the near imaging system. The far imaging system isdisposed in a cavity of the second chassis, the far imaging systemincluding far imaging optics to capture at least one image of an objectappearing in a FOV onto an imaging plane along a far imaging axis of thefar field imaging system. The illumination system is disposed in acavity of the first chassis, the illumination system includingillumination optics to provide illumination to the FOV of each of thenear imaging optics and the far imaging optics. The aiming system isdisposed adjacent to the illumination system, the aiming systemincluding an aiming path cavity in the first chassis and an aiming lightsource disposed in a cavity of the second chassis with the aiming systemconfigured to provide an aiming pattern along an aiming axis in the FOVof each of the near imaging optics and the far imaging optics. The nearimaging system is disposed adjacent to the aiming system on a side ofthe aiming system opposite that of the illumination system, and the farimaging system is disposed adjacent to the near imaging system on a sideof the near imaging system opposite the aiming system.

In a variation of the embodiment, the imaging apparatus further includesa first circuit board disposed adjacent to the first chassis between thefirst chassis and the second chassis; and a second circuit boarddisposed adjacent to the second chassis on a side of the second chassisopposite that of the first circuit board. Further, in variations,illumination system includes at least one illumination source disposedon the first circuit board. In some variations, the aiming systemincludes at least one aiming radiation source disposed on the secondcircuit board, the aiming radiation source positioned to provide aimingradiation through the aiming path cavity along an aiming axis. Invariations, the near imaging system includes a near image detectordisposed on the first circuit board, the near image detector configuredto capture an image of an object in a near field of view of the imagingapparatus. In more variations the far imaging system includes a farimage sensor disposed on the second circuit board, the far imagedetector configured to capture an image of an object in a far field ofview of the imaging apparatus.

In some approaches, a far illumination source is disposed to provide farillumination along a far illumination axis to a far field of view of theimaging apparatus, a near illumination source is disposed to providenear illumination along a near illumination axis to a near field of viewof the imaging apparatus, and an illumination collimator is disposed ina cavity of the first chassis along the far illumination axis and thenear illumination axis. The illumination collimator is disposed tocollimate the far illumination and near illumination and a multiple lensarray is disposed along the near illumination axis with the multiplelens array configured to spread the near illumination to illuminate thenear field of view of the imaging apparatus.

In continued variations of the current embodiment, the aiming systemfurther includes an aiming optical element disposed along the aimingaxis to form an aiming pattern in the field of view of the imagingapparatus. The aiming optical element may be a diffractive opticalelement of a refractive optical element.

In some approaches, the scan engine may further include an aiming systemand an illumination system. In these examples, each of the aiming systemand the illumination system being at least partially disposed in the atleast one cavity of the chassis. In variations, the aiming axis isparallel to the far imaging axis.

In any variation of the current embodiment, the apparatus furtherincludes a rigid-flexible printed circuit board with a first portion ofthe rigid-flexible circuit board disposed adjacent to the first chassisbetween the first chassis and the second chassis, and a second circuitboard disposed adjacent to the second chassis on a side of the secondchassis opposite that of the first circuit board. A flexible portion ofthe rigid-flexible circuit board is disposed at least partially outsideof the first chassis and second chassis, the flexible portion physicallyand electrically coupling the first portion of the rigid-flexiblecircuit board with the second portion of the rigid-flexible circuitboard. In some implementations, the imaging apparatus further includesat least one guard protrusion extending from the first chassis or secondchassis along a length of the flexible portion of the rigid-flexiblecircuit board, the guard protrusion having a height such that the atleast one guard protrusion extends past the flexible portion of therigid-flexible circuit board to physically guard the rigid-flexiblecircuit board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer toidentical or functionally similar elements throughout the separateviews, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated inand form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrateembodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explainvarious principles and advantages of those embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front elevation view of an example imaging assemblyof an example scanner for capturing images of an object in accordancewith various embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation view of the example imaging assemblyof an example scanner of FIG. 1 for capturing images of an object inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the example imaging assembly ofFIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of an example illumination system thatmay be implemented in an imaging assembly in accordance with variousembodiments;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of imaging axes and illumination propagation axes ofthe example imaging assembly of FIGS. 1-3 in accordance with variousembodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front elevated view of an example far imagingsystem for the example imaging assembly of FIGS. 1-3 in accordance withvarious embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the example farimaging system of FIG. 6 in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of the example far imaging systemof FIGS. 6 and 7 in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion ofthe example imaging assembly of FIGS. 1-8 in accordance with variousembodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates a close-up cross-sectional perspective view of aportion of an example aiming system that may be implemented in theexample imaging assembly of FIGS. 1-9 in accordance with variousembodiments.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendrawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements inthe figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help toimprove understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

The apparatus and method components have been represented whereappropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only thosespecific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments ofthe present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with detailsthat will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments, a compacthigh-performance autofocus barcode scanner is provided having reduceddimensional requirements, and a broad range of autofocus distances withmultiple fields of view (FOVs). More specifically, the scannersdescribed herein may be operably coupled with a support chassis whilemaking use of all of the available height within the scanner housing.Notably, the imaging lens system is positioned adjacent to the chassis(as compared with systems where the imaging lens is positioned withinthe chassis). As such, the imaging lens system is not constrained by anupper height (i.e., a vertical) dimension of the chassis, and can bedimensioned to occupy the entire vertical dimension. The scanner maytherefore incorporate larger, higher-powered optical units capable ofresolving barcodes disposed at greater distances, and greater ranges ofdistances, from the scanner. The positioning of an illumination systemallows for more even illumination of targets across the range ofautofocus distances and the multiple FOVs. Additionally, the positioningof the aiming pattern generation system further reduces parallax andallows for more accurate positioning of an aiming pattern in FOVs at farranges from the imaging system. A rigid-flexible printed circuit boardremoves the requirement for other ports and electrical interconnectswhich also allows for a reduction in the size of the systems to enablethe fabrication of compact imagers and scanners described herein.

Turning to the figures, an assembly 100 or scan engine for capturing atleast one image of an object appearing in an imaging field of view (FOV)is provided. The assembly 100 includes a first chassis 105 having a body107 defining at least one cavity for containing one or more componentsfor performing imaging of an object or target in a FOV. The assembly 100further includes a second chassis 110 including a body 112 defining atleast one cavity for containing components for performing imaging on atarget in a FOV of the scan engine. The first chassis 105 has a chassismounting portion 108 for mounting the first chassis 105 to the secondchassis 110. The chassis mounting portion 108 may include one or morepins 115 a (FIG. 3 ) or wedges that protrude from the first chassis 105that fit inside of sockets 115 b (FIG. 3 ) on the second chassis 110 tophysically align the first chassis 105, and elements of the firstchassis 105, with the second chassis 110 and element contained inside ofthe body 112 of the second chassis 110. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , thefirst chassis 105 is indirectly mounted on the second chassis 110 via aPCB 116 disposed between the first and second chassis 105 and 110. Inexamples, the first chassis 105 may be directly connected to the secondchassis 110, or physically coupled to the PCB 116 that is thenphysically coupled to the second chassis 110.

In examples, the first chassis 105 may be constructed from a plasticmaterial which reduces the overall weight of the assembly, and thesecond chassis 110 may be constructed from a metal material to performas a heat sink for electrical components, optical components, lasers,illumination sources, and the like. In examples, both the first chassis105 and second chassis 110 may independently be constructed from aplastic, a metal, or another material to fabrication of a lightweightcompact imaging scan engine.

The assembly 100 includes a first circuit board 116 disposed adjacent tothe first chassis 105 between the first and second chassis 110. Thefirst circuit board 116 may include any number of electrical and/orelectro-mechanical components (e.g., capacitors, resistors, transistors,power supplies, etc.) used to communicatively couple and/or controlvarious electrical components of the assembly 100. For example, thefirst circuit board 116 may include any number of component mountingportions 116 a, to receive components (e.g., imaging sensors, lightemitting diodes, laser diodes, etc.) to operably couple therewith, andmay additionally include one or more board mounts used to secure thefirst circuit board 116 with the first and/or second chassis 105 and 110(not illustrated).

The assembly further includes a second circuit board 118 disposedadjacent to the second chassis 110 on a side of the second chassis 110opposite that of the first circuit board 105. The second circuit board110 may include any number of electrical and/or electro-mechanicalcomponents (e.g., capacitors, resistors, transistors, power supplies,etc.) used to communicatively couple and/or control various electricalcomponents of the assembly 100. For example, the second circuit board118 may include any number of component mounting portions 118 a, toreceive components (e.g., imaging sensors, light emitting diodes, laserdiodes, etc.) to operably couple therewith, and may additionally includeone or more board mounts (not illustrated) used to secure the secondcircuit board 118 with the second chassis 110.

While described as first and second circuit boards 116 and 118, inimplementation, the first and second circuit boards 116 and 118 may bepart of a singular rigid-flexible circuit board 119. The rigid-flexiblecircuit board 119 includes one or more substantially flexible portions117 a and 117 b that physically and electrically interconnect the firstand second circuit boards 116 and 118 with each other, and withadditional elements of the assembly 100. In examples, the first andsecond circuit boards 116 and 118 may be substantially rigid portions ofthe rigid-flexible circuit board 119 and the flexible portions 117 a and117 b are malleable and bendable portions of the rigid-flexible circuitboard 119. In examples, a first flexible portion 117 a may provideelectrical communication between the first and second circuit boards 116and 118, and a second flexible portion 117 b provides electricalcommunication between the second circuit board 118 and an autofocuselement 142, discussed further herein. The flexible portions 117 of therigid-flexible circuit board 119 reduce the number of additional wiresand electrical interconnects in the assembly 100 allowing for asimplified electrical structure and reduced overall size of the assembly100.

In implementation, the flexible portions 117 a and 117 b of therigid-flexible circuit board are disposed outside of the first andsecond chassis 105 and 110. As illustrated in the figures, the firstflexible portion 117 a is disposed adjacent to, and substantiallyoutside of, the second chassis and interconnects the first and secondcircuit boards 116 and 118. The second flexible portion 117 b isdisposed outside of, and adjacent to, the second chassis 110 on anopposite side of the second chassis 110 than the first flexible portion117 a, and further interconnects the second circuit board 118 and theautofocus element 142. While illustrated as having two flexible portions117 a and 117 b it is envisioned that the rigid-flexible circuit boardmay include additional flexible portions to provide electricalcommunication between the circuit boards 116 and 118 and othercomponents of the assembly 100.

The second chassis 110 includes any number of guard protrusions 111 thatextend from the sides of the second chassis adjacent to the flexibleportions 117 a and 117 b. The guard protrusions 111 extend away from thesecond chassis 110 past the flexible portions 117 a and 117 b to provideprotection to the flexible portions 117 a and 117 b. The guardprotrusions 111 prevent the flexible portions 117 a and 117 b fromcoming into physical contact with other objects. For example, the guardprotrusions 111 protect the flexible portions 117 a and 117 b fromimpact if the assembly is dropped onto the ground, onto a table, oranother surface. Further, the guard protrusions 111 protect the flexibleportions 117 a and 117 b from physical contact with any objects withdimensions on the order of the size of the flexible portions 117 a and117 b, or in contact with objects with dimensions larger than the sizeof the flexible portions 117 a and 117 b. The guard protrusions mayinclude one or more pins, ridges, beams, flanges, frames, platforms,shoulders, rims, or another physical structure that protrudes past theflexible portions 117 a and 117 b away from the second chassis 110.

A near imaging system 120 is disposed in a first cavity 121 of the firstchassis 105. The near imaging system 120 is operatively coupled to thefirst circuit board 116 and is disposed to capture image objects in anear FOV along a near axis of the near imaging system 120. The nearimaging system 120 includes near imaging optics 125 and a near imagingsensor 122 for capturing images in the near FOV. The near imaging optics125 are disposed to receive light through an aperture 127 of the firstchassis 105, and the near imaging optics 125 focus the light onto thenear imaging sensor 122. In some examples, the near imaging sensor 122is mounted to or coupled with the first circuit board 116 via acomponent mounting portion 116 a of the first circuit board 116. Thechassis mounting portion 108 may be mounted to a component mountingportion 116 a of the first circuit board 116 as well as to the secondchassis 110. In examples, the first circuit board 116 may include a bore116 b through which the one or more pins 115 a of the first chassis 105may be placed to align components of the first chassis 105 (e.g., thenear imaging system 120), with component mounts 116 a and othercomponents disposed on the first circuit board 116. In examples, anadhesive, screws, pins, or another physical element may be used to mountthe first chassis 105 to the first circuit board 116. Additionally,thermal paste or a thermal conduit may be used to couple the firstchassis 105 and the first circuit board 116 to provide a thermal pathwayflow from elements contained in the first chassis 105 to the secondchassis 110 or another heat sink. The component mounting portion 116 amay include an adhesive to assist in securing the imaging sensor cap 123to the circuit board 116. In other examples, the component mountingportion 116 a may include any number of electrical interconnects thatreceive corresponding electrical interconnects disposed or otherwisecoupled with the circuit board 116. Other examples are possible.

The illumination system 160 is disposed in a second cavity 161 of thefirst chassis 105. The illumination system 160 includes an illuminationsource 163 disposed on the first circuit board 116. The illuminationsource 163 is disposed to provide illumination along both a nearillumination axis I₁ and a far illumination axis I₂. The illuminationsource 163 may include a single light emitting diode (LED) or lightsource, or may include multiple LEDs or light sources to provide theillumination along both the near and far illumination axis I₁ and I₂.While described as using LEDs to provide the illumination, theillumination source 163 may alternatively, or additionally, include oneor more laser diodes (LDs), black body radiation sources, incandescentsources, or another light source to provide radiation along the near andfar illumination axes I₁ and I₂. For simplicity and clarity, theillumination source 163 will be described herein as having two LEDs 163a and 163 b disposed adjacent each other on the first PCB 116 toindependently provide illumination along the near and far illuminationaxes I₁ and I₂. The LEDs includes a far illumination source 163 a and anear illumination source 163 b LED disposed along respective far andnear illumination fields I₁ and I₂ to provide light along respectiveillumination axes. As such, the illumination source 163 may be referredto herein as a dual illumination source 163, but it should beunderstood, in examples, that the illumination source 163 could includeonly a single light source, or more than two light sources.

The illumination system 160 further includes illumination optics toprovide the illumination to the one or more FOVs of the assembly 100.The illumination system 160 includes a collimator 165 that collimatesthe illumination light provided by the illumination source 163. Inexamples, the collimator 165 may be a dual lens collimator with eachlens disposed along respective near and far illumination axes I₁ and I₂to collimate light from the two independent LEDs of the dualillumination source 163. A dual optical element 168 is disposed alongboth the near and far illumination axes I₁ and I₂ to focus theillumination from the illumination source 163 into the near and farfields of view to illumination an object in either of the near and/orfar fields of view of the imaging assembly 100. The dual optical element168 is a substrate that includes a transparent window 168 a at oneregion of the dual optical element, and a microlens array (MLA) 168 bdisposed at another region of the dual optical element 168, with theregions of the transparent window 168 a and MLA 168 b disposed adjacentto each other. The transparent window 168 a is a material or aperturethat allows light to propagate through the transparent window 168 awithout altering the axis of propagation of the light, or change a focusof the light propagating through the transparent window 168 a. Thetransparent window 168 a is disposed along the far illumination axis I₂and allows illumination to propagate through the window 168 a along thefar illumination axis I₂ to illuminate an object in the far FOV. Themicro-lens array (MLA) 168 b is disposed along the near illuminationaxis I₁, and the MLA 168 b focuses illumination from the illuminationsource 163 into the near FOV to illuminate an object in the near FOV ofthe imaging assembly 100. As such, the illumination system 160 providesillumination to both the near and far FOVs of the imaging system 100. Inexamples, the MLA 168 b tilts the propagation of light, and thereforethe near illumination axis, by greater than 2° relative to the farillumination axis. In implementations, the near illumination axis may betilted by more than 3°, 5°, 7° or greater than 9° relative to the nearillumination axis. In examples, the far illumination illuminates a FOVof less than 25° by 25°, and the near illumination may illuminate a FOVof greater than 50° by 30°.

A far imaging system 140 is disposed in a first cavity 141 of the secondchassis 110. In the illustrated example, the far imaging system 140 isoperably coupled with the second circuit board 118. The far imagingsystem 140 includes an autofocus system 142 and a rear lens assembly145, both containing lenses for imaging. The autofocus system 142 ispositioned adjacent to and/or operably coupled with the rear lensassembly 145. The rear lens assembly 145 is in the form of a generallyhollow body that may have any number of features such as shapes and/orcutouts 113 such that corresponds to the shape of the lens or lensesdisposed therein. These cutouts 113 reduce overall weight of the rearlens assembly 145, and due to the uniform thickness of a sidewall 146 a,the rear lens assembly 145 is easier to manufacture (e.g., mold via aninjection molding or other forming machine) as compared with lensholders having varying thickness.

In some examples, the rear lens assembly 145 is coupled with the secondcircuit board 118 via a component mounting portion 118 a on the secondcircuit board 118. As a non-limiting example, the component mountingportion 118 a may be in the form of a pad to which the rear lensassembly 145 is pressed onto. The component mounting portion 118 a mayinclude an adhesive to assist in securing the rear lens assembly 145 tothe second circuit board 118. In other examples, the component mountingportion 118 a may include any number of electrical interconnects thatreceive corresponding electrical interconnects disposed or otherwisecoupled with the rear lens assembly 145. The second circuit board 118may have any number of component mounting portions 118 a withthroughholes, mounting pads, etc. for mounting elements to the secondcircuit board 118. Other examples are possible.

A far imaging sensor 147 is disposed on the second circuit board 118,with the far imaging sensor 147 disposed along a far imaging axis F ofthe imaging assembly 100. The far imaging sensor 147 images one or moreFOVs further from the imaging assembly 100 than the FOV(s) of the nearimaging assembly 120. The autofocus system 142 includes a variable focusoptical element that may change the focal distance of the far imagingsystem 140 to image different imaging planes at different focal lengths.The autofocus system 142 may include a deformable lens element, a liquidlens, a T-lens, a voice coil motor, voice coil actuator, or anothervariable focus optical element. The far imaging system 140 includes afront lens 150 disposed along the far imaging axis F outside of thesecond chassis 110.

An aiming system 180 is partially disposed in aiming cavities 181 ofboth the first and second chassis 105 and 110. An aiming source 182 isdisposed on the second circuit board 118, with the aiming source in thecavity 181 of the second chassis 182, the aiming source 182 configuredto provide aiming light along an aiming axis A. Various optics aredisposed along the aiming axis A to manipulate the aiming light as thelight propagates through the cavity of the second chassis 105. Theaiming light propagates through a bore hole 192 in the first circuitboard 116, and continues to propagate through the aiming cavity 181 inthe first chassis 105. In examples, the aiming cavity 181 in the firstchassis 105 is substantially cylindrical to act as a tunnel, as anaiming light path cavity, through which the aiming light may betransmitted. An aiming diffractive optical element (DOE) in the form ofa pattern generator 188 is disposed in the aiming cavity 181 of thefirst chassis, with the pattern generator 188 disposed along the aimingaxis A to manipulate the aiming light to form an aiming pattern. Theaiming pattern generator 188 may be a diffractive optical element, or arefractive optical element for forming the aiming pattern. Positioningthe aiming light source 182 in the second chassis 110 and the patterngenerator 188 at a distant side 105 a of the first chassis 105 allowsfor the spacing of the various systems (e.g., near imaging system 120,aiming system 180, and illumination system 160) to be closer together inthe assembly 100 reducing the overall size of the assembly 100.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the near imaging system 120, farimaging system 140, illumination system 160 and aiming system 180 arepositioned substantially along a same horizontal axis H. Placing theillumination and aiming systems 180 and 160 along a same axis as thenear and far imaging systems 120 and 140 allows for simplified opticaldesigns which further reduces required alignment and tuning to providethe illumination and aiming pattern to the near and far FOVs of theassembly 100. Additionally, having all of the systems 120, 140, 160, and180 roughly along a same horizontal axis reduces the overall height ofthe imaging assembly 100. In examples shown herein, such as in FIG. 2 ,the illumination system 120 and aiming system 180 are along the samehorizontal axis H centered on the second chassis 110, while the nearimaging system 120 is offset of the horizontal axis in one direction,and the far imaging system 140 is offset from the horizontal axis in anopposite direction than that of the near imaging system 120. Each of thenear and far imaging systems 120 and 140 have a larger dimension of therespective near and far FOVs along the horizontal axis H. In examples,the near imaging system 120 is disposed adjacent to the aiming system180 on a side of the aiming system 180 opposite the illumination system160, and the far imaging system 140 is disposed adjacent to the nearimaging system 120 on a side of the near imaging system 120 opposite theaiming system 180.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the various imaging axes, and axes ofpropagation of the systems of the assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-4 . In ageneric example. All of the far imaging axis F, near imaging axis N,aiming axis A, and far illumination axis I₂ are parallel, orsubstantially parallel (e.g., within 3°, within 5°, or within 10°) ofeach other. Configuring the aiming axis to be parallel to the imagingsystems improves the accuracy of the position of the aiming patterngenerated by the aiming system 180 in the FOV of the far imaging FOV atfar distances. Placement of the near imaging system 120 next to theaiming system 180 improves accuracy of the position of the aimingpattern generated by the aiming system 180 in the FOV of the nearimaging system at close distances. Placement of the far imaging system140 away from the aiming system 180 increases accuracy of distanceranging based on shift of the aiming pattern in the image of the farimaging system camera. As such, the more accurate placement of theaiming pattern allows for more efficient operation, and more accuratescanning of objects presented to the imaging assembly 100. The nearimaging system 120 has a broader FOV and therefore allows for,potentially, more undesirable light such as light from the environment,or stray light from the illumination system 160, to enter the nearimaging system 120 which may cause noisier images and reduce theefficiency of scanning objects in the near FOV of the assembly 100.Positioning the aiming system 180 between the near imaging system 120and the illumination system 160 reduces the noise in the near imagingsystem 120 due to the illumination system 160. The MLA 168 b focuses thenear illumination at an angle along the near illumination axis I₁.Tilting the near illumination along the near illumination axis I₁ allowsfor illumination of objects at distances closer to the assembly than thefar FOV illuminated by the far illumination.

In an example, the far imaging sensor 147 may be a 3.8×2.4 mm activearea photodiode, and the near imaging sensor may be a 4.8×2.7 mmphotodiode. The resulting far imaging FOV is a 12° by 7° field of viewand the resulting near imaging FOV is a 42° by 27° field of view. Inexamples, the near imaging system 120 may have a FOV of greater than 42°by 25°, and the far imaging system may have a FOV of less than 15° by10°. The aiming pattern may be provided by a collimated and patternedbeam with a collimated beam size of 1×1.4 mm provided to the far imagingFOVs and the patterned beam with aiming FOV of 42° by 27° to the nearimaging FOV. The far illumination with a collimated beam size of 5.6×3.8mm out of the collimator 165 results in illumination in a 19° by 19° FOVin the far imaging FOVs. After passing through the MLA 168 a, the nearillumination provided by the illumination system 160 illuminates a 55°by 33° FOV in the near imaging FOV. In the current example, the nearillumination axis I₁ is at an angle of 2.5° tilt as compared to theother imaging and illumination axes of the assembly 100. The resultingoverall size of the assembly 100 may be less than 35 mm by 12 mm by 25mm.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate various components of the far imaging system 140 inmore detail. As previously described, the far imaging system 140includes the compensator lens assembly 150, variable focus assembly 144,rear lens assembly 145, and far imaging sensor 147. With brief referenceto FIG. 1 , the imaging sensor 147 may be physically and operativelycoupled to the second circuit board 118. The rear lens assembly 145 hasa central lens barrel 146, mounting flanges 145 a, and mounting tabs 145b. The central lens barrel 146 contains a fixed focus optical group 154.The mounting flanges 145 a extend perpendicularly away from the lensbarrel 146 from a first end of the lens barrel 146 and the mounting tabs145 b protrude from bottoms of the sidewalls 146 a on an opposite end ofthe lens barrel 146 from the mounting flanges 145 a. The mountingflanges 145 a physically couple the variable focus optical elementhousing 143 with the rear lens assembly 145. The mounting tabs 145 bextend along the direction of the optical axis F and physically couplethe rear lens assembly 145 with the second printed circuit board 118 tomaintain a position of the lens barrel 146, and optics and elements(i.e., lenses positioned inside of the rear lens assembly 145, thevariable focus assembly 144, compensator lens assembly 150, etc.) of thefar imaging system 140 relative to the far imaging sensor 147.

In examples, the lens barrel 146 has a first outer diameter 146 d ₁toward the first end of the lens barrel 146 (i.e., the end having theflanges 145 a), and the lens barrel 146 tapers to a smaller second outerdiameter 146 d ₂ at the second end (i.e., the end having the tabs 145 b)of the lens barrel 146. Tapering of the outer diameter of the lensbarrel allows for the piece to be machined using injection molding. Thetaper allows for ejection of the molded part from a mold cavity.Further, having two different diameters along the lens barrel 146 allowsfor control over the tilt and lateral positioning (i.e., directionsorthogonal to the optical axis F) of optics housed in the rear lensassembly 145 to tune imaged light onto the far imaging sensor 147. Thesecond outer diameter 146 d ₂ minimizes positioning features forcoupling the far lens assembly 140 with the second chassis 110 whichreduces physical constrain of the lens assembly 140 during construction,allowing for more physical tunability of the lens assembly 140.

The fixed focus optical group 154 may include a plurality of lensesdisposed in the hollow body of the rear lens assembly 145 to provide animage to the far imaging sensor 147. Cutouts 113 in the cavity of therear lens assembly 145 may provide physical support to lenses and opticsdisposed in the rear lens assembly 145 to position the lenses and opticsrelative to each other, and to other elements of the far imaging system140. The fixed focus optical group 154 is disposed along the far imagingaxis F, and as such, the far imaging axis F may be referred to herein asan optical axis or imaging axis of the far imaging system 140. The fixedfocus optical group 154 is disposed to receive light from the variablefocus assembly 144 and may include one or more lenses including withoutlimitation, convex lenses, concave lenses, asymmetric lenses, plasticlenses, glass lenses, aspheric plastic lenses, aspheric lenses, fieldstops, baffles, and/or apertures. The fixed focus optical group 154 isconfigured to focus the light at the flange focal length of 18.766 mm ofthe far imaging system 140 optical assembly. The current embodiment hasan effective focal length of between 19.47 mm to 19.92 mm depending onvarious conditions of the optical system. The flange focal length andeffective focal length of the system may be tuned on the order ofmillimeters, to tens of millimeters, to even hundreds of millimetersdepending on the optical elements used. The far imaging sensor 147receives the light at the flange focal distance and generates a signalindicative of the received light to generate an image of an object inthe FOV of the far imaging system 140. The far imaging system 140 isinstalled in the second chassis 110, and, in examples, the secondchassis 110 is a zinc alloy having a low thermal coefficient ofexpansion. The far imaging system 140 is secured to the second chassis110 at an axial location that minimizes the change in its focal pointposition relative to the sensor 147, due to changes in temperature whichtakes advantage of the low coefficient of expansion of the zinc alloysecond chassis 110.

In addition to providing physical support for the positions of the fixedfocus optical group 154, the rear lens assembly 145 further acts as anoptical baffle to reduce stray light in the far imaging system 140. Therear lens holder 154 may include structural features that act as abaffle themselves, or may include a separate element as an opticalbaffle. In examples, the fixed focus optical group 154 includes anoptical baffle 156 disposed along the optical axis F between lenses ofthe fixed focus optical group 154. The optical baffle 156 may bemachined from a metal material, such as a relatively light metal likealuminum, which allows for thinner walls and lighter weight of thebaffle 156 allowing for overall smaller dimensions of the far imagingsystem 140. In examples, the optical baffle 156 may be any material buttrade offs in cost, weight, and materials may be considered. A lightweight material for the optical baffle 156 reduces the overall risk offailures of adhesive bonds during mechanical shock such as dropping ofthe assembly 100 or other physical impact to the assembly 100 or farimaging system 140.

The baffle 156 may have an outer diameter of less than less than 6 mm,less than 8 mm, less than 10 mm, or less than 20 mm. In specificexamples, the optical baffle 156 has a nominal outer diameter of 5.8 mm.The optical baffle 156 has a first baffle stop edge 156 a and a secondbaffle stop edge 156 b, both of which block stray light from propagatingfurther along the optical axis F. The baffle 156 functions as a fieldstop that reflects stray light into walls of the baffle 156 and lensbarrel 146. The baffle 156 may be covered in a dark coating such asblack polish or paint to increase the absorption of light into the wallsof the baffle 156 to further reduce stray light in the far imagingsystem 140.

The variable focus assembly 144 is physically coupled to the fixed focusoptical group 145 at the flanges 145 a. In examples, the variable focusoptical element housing 143 is physically coupled to the rear lensassembly 145 via arms 143 a of the housing 143. The variable focusoptical element housing 143 may be physically coupled to the mountingflanges 145 a by an adhesive or other suitable coupling mechanism. Theautofocus system 142 is disposed in, and protected by, the variablefocus optical element housing 143 to prevent damage to the autofocussystem 142. In examples, the autofocus system 142 includes a variablefocus optical element disposed along the optical axis F to receive lightfrom the compensator lens assembly 150. The variable focus opticalelement of the autofocus system may include a voice coil motor, liquidlens, T-lens, or another optical element that has a variable focal planeor focal distance for tuning the flange focal length of the far imagingsystem 140. The autofocus system 142 and associated variable focusoptical element may be entirely, or partially, disposed inside of thevariable focus optical element housing 143, and, as such, the housing143 supports the position of the autofocus system 142 along the opticalaxis F.

The compensator lens assembly 150 is disposed along the far imaging axisF to receive light from the far imaging FOV of the assembly 100. Thecompensator lens assembly 150 includes a compensator lens 153 that ispositioned along the optical axis F to tune the focal flange length ofthe far imaging system 140 optical assembly. In examples, thecompensator lens 153 is a glass lens having a positive optical power,and the glass lens may have an anti-reflective coating, an infrared-cutcoating, a bandpass coating, or another optical coating disposed thereonto reduce reflections or filter light propagating through the lens. Thecompensator lens assembly 150 includes a compensator lens housing 152that contains the compensator lens 153. In examples, the compensatorlens 153 is partially or entirely disposed inside of the compensatorlens housing 152. The compensator lens housing 152 supports a positionof the compensator lens 153 along the optical axis, and the compensatorlens housing 152 may be used to tune the position of the compensatorlens both along the far imaging axis F, and laterally along dimensionsorthogonal to the far imaging axis F. The compensator lens housing 152is physically coupled to the variable focus optical element housing 143to maintain a position of the compensator lens 143 relative to theoptics of the variable focus assembly 142 and the fixed focus opticalgroup 154, to focus an image of a FOV onto the far imaging sensor 147.

In examples, the compensator lens housing 152 is physically coupled tothe variable focus optical element housing by an adhesive 151, a mount,or other coupling mechanisms. The adhesive 151 reduces the overall sizeof the far imaging system 140 and removes the requirement for other lensholders or physical mounting structures. The adhesive 151 also allowsfor active tuning and alignment of the flange focal length of the farimaging assembly 140 after the variable focus assembly 144, fixed focusoptical group, and rear lens assembly 145 have been positioned along thefar imaging axis F to provide an image to the far imaging sensor 147. Byusing the adhesive 151, the compensator lens assembly 150 may bemanually, or automatically, adjusted by a person or machine to tune theflange focal plane of the far imaging assembly 140 onto the far imagingsensor 147. Using a thin bead layer of the adhesive 151 also providessealing between the compensator lens assembly 150 and the variable focusassembly 144 which protects the optics of the variable focus assembly144 (e.g., autofocus system 142, liquid lenses, T-lenses, voice coilmotor, etc.) from dust, fluids, or debris from entering the system andpolluting images. Typically, active alignment of optics may requiretuning of the flange focal plane by tuning the focal length of avariable focus optic which reduces the overall usable focal range of anoptical system. Using the compensator lens 150 to tune the flange focallength preserves the widest range of focal planes for the far imagingsystem 140 by compensating for any focal plane errors including focaldistance, plane tilt, or lateral position, to provide a focused image atthe far imaging sensor 147 preserving the focal range of the system 140.Tipping and tilting longer optical systems with multiple lenses andfocus tunable optics often is limited due to the housing structures andsurrounding physical chassis and structures. Therefore, the compensatorlens assembly 150 allows for a wide range of focus plane and imagetuning over other comparable optical systems. Also, use of thecompensator lens assembly 150 allows for using larger physical mountsand couplers such as the flanges 143 a which allows for use of a largercompensator lens 153. The larger lens 153 collects more light than asmaller lens, which provides higher resolution, or higher quality imagesacross multiple imaging and scanning system metrics. The compensatorlens 153 further allows for consistent system performance across devicesthat include the far imaging system 140 described, resulting in highquality consistent imaging assemblies 100. Due to the use of multiplefeatures, such as the dual-diameter lens barrel, small machined baffle156, stable positioning of optics using flanges 145 a and tabs 145 b,and adhesive 151, the overall dimensions of the far imaging system maybe 20 mm along the optical axis F, and with lateral depth and width of10 mm by 9 mm or smaller. The described mounting features (e.g.,mounting flanges 143 a, tabs 145 b, etc.) reduce the risk of the farimaging system 140 from dislocating or misaligning in the assembly 100.Further, the adhesives and mounting pads secure the other systems, andelements of systems, in place within the assembly. It is envisioned thatother physical mounts, features, and adhesives, screws, or otherphysical couplers may be used to mount elements and prevent anymisalignment or ejection of elements during a physical impact event(e.g., falling onto a floor or surface, bumped, jostled during shipping,etc.). For example, the first chassis 105 may be further physicallysecured to the far imaging system 140 and second chassis 110 by anadhesive between the first chassis 105 and far imaging system 140 and/orsecond chassis 110 to increase the physical stability of the firstchassis and element disposed therein.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 9, and 10 , particulars of the aiming system180 and its environment are herein described. As previously noted, theaiming system 180 includes an aiming source 182 and other componentssuch as a collimating lens or lens assembly 183 that extend along theaxis A in a first direction. The aiming source 182 generates light toassist with identifying the FOV. The collimating lens 183 is provided tocontrol the light emitted from the aiming source 182. The patterngenerator (or DOE) 188 generates a cosmetic pattern from the emittedlight to assist with identifying the FOV. As previously noted, theaiming system 180 is at least partially disposed within the cavity orconfined volume 181 of the second chassis 110. More specifically, theconfined volume 181 of the chassis 110 includes a chassis mountingportion 184 and a redirecting region 185 that at least partiallysurrounds the chassis mounting portion 184. In the illustrated examples,the chassis mounting portion 184 is in the form of a surface thatreceives and retains portions of the aiming system 180.

The redirecting region 185 is in the form of a surface or sidewall thatmay redirect light or electromagnetic radiation propagating in a firstdirection (i.e., in a direction parallel to the axis A) to a seconddirection (i.e., in a direction towards the axis A). More specifically,as illustrated in FIG. 10 , the redirecting region 185 is in the form ofa number of curved surfaces. In some examples, such surfaces may begenerally parabolic in shape. However, other examples and arrangementsare possible such as, for example, a generally planar, angled surface,or a surface having any desired curvature or shape. In some examples,the redirecting region 185 may be reflective or semi-reflective tofacilitate the redirection of light or electromagnetic radiation. Inthese and other examples, the redirecting region 185 may have othersurface treatments resulting in a desired surface smoothness. Forexample, the redirecting region 185 may have a surface roughness ofapproximately 0.8 microns (as compared with the remainder of the chassis110 having a surface roughness of between approximately 1.6 and 3.2microns. As a result, the redirecting region 185 may have a relativelysmoother surface than the remainder of the chassis 110 to promoteelectromagnetic radiation reflections. It is to be appreciated that theredirecting region 185 may have different and/or additional surfacetreatments applied thereto to result in further reduced roughnessvalues.

The adhesive 186 is used to couple, secure, and/or otherwise retaincomponents with the chassis 110. It is to be appreciated that while notillustrated, the adhesive 186 may be provided to couple, secure, and/orotherwise retain any number of additional components. More specifically,the adhesive 186 may be used to couple the collimating lens 183 with thechassis 110 at the chassis mounting portion 184. In some examples, theadhesive 186 may first be coupled with the chassis mounting portion 184,whereupon the collimating lens 183 is placed upon the adhesive 186, butin other examples, the adhesive 186 may first be coupled with thecollimating lens 183, whereupon the collimating lens 183 and theadhesive 186 may be placed on the chassis mounting portion 184. Ineither of these or other arrangements, proper placement of thecollimating lens 183 with respect to the chassis is desired to achievehigh performance of the aiming system 180. In some examples, an activealignment procedure is performed to ensure the collimating lens 183 isproperly disposed with respect to the aiming source 182.

In some examples, the collimating lens 183 may be constructed from aplastic material such as, for example, polycarbonate. In some examples,the collimating lens 183 may have an opaque housing or body to achieveimproved optical performance. An opaque collimating lens 183 may assistwith blocking stray light from entering into and/or escaping from theaiming system 180 as compared to previous designs using transparentand/or translucent components.

Upon the collimating lens 183 (or any other component of the unit 100)being properly placed and aligned with the chassis mounting portion 184,a curing process is initiated to cause the adhesive 186 to secure thecollimating lens 183 at the desired location. This process may be asingle or multi-stage procedure whereby electromagnetic ration (e.g.,ultraviolet (“UV”) light or any other light source) is directed towardsthe adhesive to cure. While previous systems using transparent ortranslucent collimating lenses were capable of performing such curing bysimply directing the electromagnetic radiation in an axial directionalong axis A, whereupon the electromagnetic radiation passes through thetransparent or translucent collimating lens and reach the adhesive 186,in examples where the collimating lens 183 (or other component) isconstructed from an opaque material, such a construction may blockand/or otherwise prevent or obstruct the electromagnetic radiation fromreaching the adhesive. Further, given the compact design of the unit100, it may not be possible to direct the electromagnetic radiation atan angle in an attempt at contacting the adhesive. However, because thepresently-described unit 100 incorporates an aiming cavity 181 having aredirecting region 185, light, heat, or other electromagnetic radiationmay be directed into the cavity 181 in a direction parallel to the axisA towards the redirecting region 185, whereupon the shape, arrangement,and/or surface treatment(s) applied thereto causes such light, heat, orother electromagnetic radiation to reflect towards the adhesive 186 toinitiate curing.

As previously noted, in some examples, the redirecting region 185 mayhave a generally parabolic shape. Such an arrangement of the redirectingregion 185 may be dimensioned so that the focal point of the parabola(or other shape) is positioned at the location of the adhesive 186. Inthese and other arrangements, the redirected or otherwise reflectedelectromagnetic radiation will contact the adhesive 186 and cause it tocure.

It is appreciated that in some forms, the curing process may becompleted in a single step. However, in other examples, the curingprocess may include multiple steps, where electromagnetic radiation isfirst directed towards the redirecting region 185 to initiate curing,and a second curing process may occur thereafter. In some examples, thecollimating lens 183 may be further positioned and/or aligned betweenthese two curing steps. Further, in some examples, the second curingstep may include applying a heat source generated by a heating elementto the aiming cavity 181. In other examples, electromagnetic radiationmay again be directed towards the redirecting region during this secondstep. Other examples are possible.

So arranged, the scanning unit 100 may incorporate any number ofredirecting regions to assist with securing any number of desiredcomponents requiring precise alignment. Such an arrangement is ofparticular benefit in the present system which occupies a reducedoverall volume and accordingly has smaller component cavities.Advantageously, a sealed cavity may be less susceptible to contaminationof internal surfaces which may otherwise impact performance of theaiming system 180. Such contaminants may include foreign objects and/ormoisture. A sealed cavity may additionally provide a barrier fromexternal light sources from entering the aiming system 180, the aimingsystem 180 to other systems, and stray light generated by the aimingsystem 180 from producing artifacts from the engine 100.

The above description refers to a block diagram of the accompanyingdrawings. Alternative implementations of the example represented by theblock diagram includes one or more additional or alternative elements,processes and/or devices. Additionally or alternatively, one or more ofthe example blocks of the diagram may be combined, divided, re-arrangedor omitted. Components represented by the blocks of the diagram areimplemented by hardware, software, firmware, and/or any combination ofhardware, software and/or firmware. In some examples, at least one ofthe components represented by the blocks is implemented by a logiccircuit. As used herein, the term “logic circuit” is expressly definedas a physical device including at least one hardware componentconfigured (e.g., via operation in accordance with a predeterminedconfiguration and/or via execution of stored machine-readableinstructions) to control one or more machines and/or perform operationsof one or more machines. Examples of a logic circuit include one or moreprocessors, one or more coprocessors, one or more microprocessors, oneor more controllers, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), oneor more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or morefield programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more microcontrollerunits (MCUs), one or more hardware accelerators, one or morespecial-purpose computer chips, and one or more system-on-a-chip (SoC)devices. Some example logic circuits, such as ASICs or FPGAs, arespecifically configured hardware for performing operations (e.g., one ormore of the operations described herein and represented by theflowcharts of this disclosure, if such are present). Some example logiccircuits are hardware that executes machine-readable instructions toperform operations (e.g., one or more of the operations described hereinand represented by the flowcharts of this disclosure, if such arepresent). Some example logic circuits include a combination ofspecifically configured hardware and hardware that executesmachine-readable instructions.

As used herein, each of the terms “tangible machine-readable medium,”“non-transitory machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storagedevice” is expressly defined as a storage medium (e.g., a platter of ahard disk drive, a digital versatile disc, a compact disc, flash memory,read-only memory, random-access memory, etc.) on which machine-readableinstructions (e.g., program code in the form of, for example, softwareand/or firmware) are stored for any suitable duration of time (e.g.,permanently, for an extended period of time (e.g., while a programassociated with the machine-readable instructions is executing), and/ora short period of time (e.g., while the machine-readable instructionsare cached and/or during a buffering process)). Further, as used herein,each of the terms “tangible machine-readable medium,” “non-transitorymachine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage device” isexpressly defined to exclude propagating signals. That is, as used inany claim of this patent, none of the terms “tangible machine-readablemedium,” “non-transitory machine-readable medium,” and “machine-readablestorage device” can be read to be implemented by a propagating signal.

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have beendescribed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates thatvarious modifications and changes can be made without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly,the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrativerather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intendedto be included within the scope of present teachings. Additionally, thedescribed embodiments/examples/implementations should not be interpretedas mutually exclusive, and should instead be understood as potentiallycombinable if such combinations are permissive in any way. In otherwords, any feature disclosed in any of the aforementionedembodiments/examples/implementations may be included in any of the otheraforementioned embodiments/examples/implementations.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) thatmay cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of any or all the claims. The claimed invention isdefined solely by the appended claims including any amendments madeduring the pendency of this application and all equivalents of thoseclaims as issued.

Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second,top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish oneentity or action from another entity or action without necessarilyrequiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between suchentities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”,“having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any othervariation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, suchthat a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has,includes, contains a list of elements does not include only thoseelements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherentto such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by“comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . .a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence ofadditional identical elements in the process, method, article, orapparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms“a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly statedotherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”,“approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined asbeing close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and inone non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, inanother embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and inanother embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein isdefined as connected, although not necessarily directly and notnecessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” ina certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also beconfigured in ways that are not listed.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter may lie in less thanall features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the followingclaims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with eachclaim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An imaging apparatus comprising: a firstchassis including a body defining at least one cavity, the first chassisincluding a chassis mounting portion; a second chassis including a bodydefining at least one cavity, the first chassis mounted to the secondchassis by the chassis mounting portion of the first chassis; a nearimaging system disposed in a cavity of the first chassis, the nearimaging system including near imaging optics to capture at least oneimage of an object appearing in a field of view (FOV) onto an imagingplane along a near imaging axis of the near imaging system; a farimaging system disposed in a cavity of the second chassis, the farimaging system including far imaging optics to capture at least oneimage of an object appearing in a FOV onto an imaging plane along a farimaging axis of the far field imaging system; an illumination systemdisposed in a cavity of the first chassis, the illumination systemincluding illumination optics to provide illumination to the FOV of eachof the near imaging optics and the far imaging optics; an aiming systemdisposed adjacent to the illumination system, the aiming systemincluding an aiming path cavity in the first chassis and an aiming lightsource disposed in a cavity of the second chassis to provide an aimingpattern along an aiming axis in the FOV of each of the near imagingoptics and the far imaging optics; wherein the near imaging system isdisposed adjacent to the aiming system on a side of the aiming systemopposite that of the illumination system; and the far imaging system isdisposed adjacent to the near imaging system on a side of the nearimaging system opposite the aiming system.
 2. The imaging apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising: a first circuit board disposed adjacent tothe first chassis between the first chassis and the second chassis; anda second circuit board disposed adjacent to the second chassis on a sideof the second chassis opposite that of the first circuit board.
 3. Theimaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the illumination system comprisesat least one illumination source disposed on the first circuit board. 4.The imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the aiming system comprises atleast one aiming radiation source disposed on the second circuit board,the aiming radiation source positioned to provide aiming radiationthrough the aiming path cavity along an aiming axis.
 5. The imagingapparatus of claim 2, wherein the near imaging system comprises a nearimage detector disposed on the first circuit board, the near imagedetector configured to capture an image of an object in a near field ofview of the imaging apparatus.
 6. The imaging apparatus of claim 2,wherein the far imaging system comprises a far image sensor disposed onthe second circuit board, the far image detector configured to capturean image of an object in a far field of view of the imaging apparatus.7. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first chassis isconstructed from a plastic material.
 8. The imaging apparatus of claim1, wherein the illumination system comprises: a far illumination sourcedisposed to provide far illumination along a far illumination axis to afar field of view of the imaging apparatus; a near illumination sourcedisposed to provide near illumination along a near illumination axis toa near field of view of the imaging apparatus; an illuminationcollimator disposed in a cavity of the first chassis along the farillumination axis and the near illumination axis, the illuminationcollimator disposed to collimate the far illumination and nearillumination; and a multiple lens array disposed along the nearillumination axis, the multiple lens array configured to spread the nearillumination to illuminate the near field of view of the imagingapparatus.
 9. The imaging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the nearillumination axis is at an angle relative to the far illumination axis.10. The imaging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the far illuminationilluminates a field of view of less than 25° by 25°.
 11. The imagingapparatus of claim 8, wherein the near illumination illuminates a fieldof view of greater than 50° by 30°.
 12. The imaging apparatus of claim1, wherein the aiming system further comprises an aiming optical elementdisposed along the aiming axis to form an aiming pattern in the field ofview of the imaging apparatus.
 13. The imaging apparatus of claim 1,wherein the aiming optical element comprises a diffractive opticalelement or refractive optical element.
 14. The imaging apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the aiming axis is parallel to the far imaging axis.15. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the near imaging systemhas a field of view of greater than 42° by 25°.
 16. The imagingapparatus of claim 1, wherein the far imaging system has a field of viewof less than 15° by 10°.
 17. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, whereineach of the illumination system, aiming system, near imaging system andfar imaging system are disposed relative to each other along ahorizontal axis of the imaging apparatus, the horizontal axis beingparallel to a larger dimension of imaging fields of view of the near andfar field imaging systems.
 18. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe imaging apparatus has overall dimensions of less than 35 mm by 12 mmby 25 mm.
 19. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising arigid-flexible printed circuit board with a first portion of therigid-flexible circuit board disposed adjacent to the first chassisbetween the first chassis and the second chassis, and a second circuitboard disposed adjacent to the second chassis on a side of the secondchassis opposite that of the first circuit board, and a flexible portionof the rigid-flexible circuit board disposed at least partially outsideof the first chassis and second chassis, the flexible portion physicallyand electrically coupling the first portion of the rigid-flexiblecircuit board with the second portion of the rigid-flexible circuitboard.
 20. The imaging apparatus of claim 19, further comprising atleast one guard protrusion extending from the first chassis or secondchassis along a length of the flexible portion of the rigid-flexiblecircuit board, the guard protrusion having a height such that the atleast one guard protrusion extends past the flexible portion of therigid-flexible circuit board to physically guard the rigid-flexiblecircuit board.